The importance of hydration, especially during physically demanding activities such as hiking or extended periods of walking, is widely recognized. Beverage holders which allow for hands-free carrying of a beverage container can promote hydration by providing ready access to the container. Insulating beverage holders provide the additional advantage of reducing the rate of heat transfer from the beverage container, thereby keeping the drink colder or hotter for a longer period of time.
Typical beverage holders have a relatively fixed shape and size, allowing a person to carry a beverage container of approximately the same shape and/or size. While such holders may be adequate for repeated use of the same type of container, a beverage holder that can support containers of different shapes and sizes would be much more convenient and useful. By way of example, conventioneers and travelers often find themselves in unfamiliar locales where beverages are provided in containers having a variety of different shapes. A reconfigurable, hands-free beverage holder would allow such a user to conveniently carry a beverage no matter the container in which it is provided.
Securing other articles during such situations can also be a challenge. A typical wallet carried in a purse which may be regularly set down and picked back up or in a back pants pocket may be easily stolen, especially when there is a concentration of people in a given location. Clothing lacking pockets may exacerbate the ability of a person to carry necessary items, such as identification, payment cards, cash, keys, etc., during travel or while at a convention, or while participating in a fitness activity such as hiking. An article holder having compartments within which to store such items which can be easily converted to a beverage holder would be particularly useful in such situations.